The perfect roux for cajun dishes. This includes, gumbo, ettouffee, red beans and rice.
Ingrediants
3/4 cup of flour
3/4 cup of butter or half butter/ half olive oil
Melt Butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium to medium high heat
Slowly sprinkle in the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly
Do not walk away!
If you burn it even the tiniest bit, it is unusable.
You will notice the flour begining to brown.
The darker the flour, the darker the gravy.
For gumbo, when the roux reaches a deep dark chocolate brown color it is done.
Then you add chicken broth,
if you have it on hand, a small amount of beer.
It will bubble up and stream, keep stirring it so it wont get lumpy.
After it becomes gravy like, start adding your spices. I add almost everything I have.
onion
pepper
garlic
(secret ingrediant a dash of nutmeg)
chili powder
red pepper
italian seasonings
salt
Keep adding small amounts until it tastes right. Let simmer for a while allowing all the flavors to blend. You will need to add water, it should be the consistancy of a stew. Then you add either chicken and sausage, or different seafood like crab and shrimp or shrimp and crawfish. I use shrimp and chicken. But wait until the end to add shrimp or they will shrink up. If you boil the shrimp first, take some of that water and add it to the roux.
For red beans and rice, use the roux above, add just sausage, use kidney beans and pour that mixture on rice. I have file' powder on hand to sprinkle after its cooks and of course Louisana Hot Sauce.
